Venezuela – El Nacional, May 27, 2025
The award seeks to recognize human rights lawyers who fight for justice and freedom, risking—or having risked—their lives to defend the rule of law and democracy.
Human rights defender Rocío San Miguel, detained at the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) facility in El Helicoide for over a year, has been awarded the 2025 Thulani Maseko Justice Prize by the Human Rights Foundation.
Through social media, the Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) highlighted San Miguel’s work in Venezuela, which has made her a target of persecution by the Chavista regime.
“HRF is pleased to announce the winner of the 2025 Thulani Maseko Justice Prize: Rocío San Miguel. As a Venezuelan lawyer, human rights defender, and anti-corruption activist, her work has made her a target of harassment and persecution by the regimes of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro,” reads the announcement posted on X.
The organization added that the president of Control Ciudadano “is arbitrarily detained and accused of terrorism in a sham trial where no evidence has ever been presented, prompting international condemnation and calls for her release.”
